Blowback

“I think Hamas is stronger now and will be stronger in the future because of this war,” said Eyad Serraj, a psychiatrist [in Gaza] who is an opponent of Hamas. “This war has deepened the people’s feeling that it is impossible to have peace with Israel, a country that promotes death and destruction.”

-- from Israel Hopes to Complete Gaza Troop Pull-Out [in time for Obama inauguration]

Dr Abuelaish [who treated both Israeli and Arab patients, and three of whose daughters were killed in an Israeli strike] said..."Violence is never the right way. My daughters and I were armed with nothing but love and hope."

-- from Gaza doctor's loss grips Israelis

that's the paradox of Al-Jazeera's war journalism: It is flagrantly political, but accompanied by a real curiosity about other perspectives. It also makes me wish for something else: A TV network with the bravery to show the war imagery you can see on Al-Jazeera, but the integrity to do it in the service of peace, rather than the service of a side. Its violent imagery, however unpleasant, would be a strong stand for the individual against violence, and for human compassion against easily fanned hatreds

-- from The Violence Network by Eric Calderwood.

Some [of the graffiti] was in Hebrew, but much was naively written in English: "Arabs need 2 die", "Die you all", "Make war not peace", "1 is down, 999,999 to go", and scrawled on an image of a gravestone the words: "Arabs 1948-2009".

-- from 48 members of the Samouni family were killed in one day by Rory McCarthy